Media gateway and control method thereof

Abstract

A media gateway, which generates a context based on a control message transmitted from a media gateway controller and controls bearer transfers between a first network and a second network, comprises a context determination unit, an optimization judgment unit, an optimization processing unit, and a context control unit. The context determination unit determines an existence of an internal connection between a first context related to the first network and a second context related to the second network based on the respective control messages. The optimization judgment unit judges a possibility for generating a new third context by combining the first context and the second context, when the internal connection exists. The optimization processing unit generates the third context when it is possible to generate, and associates resource information of the third context with each of resource information of the first context and the second context. The context control unit controls the bearer transfer between the first network and the second network based on the third context, and performs communication with the media gateway controller using respective resource information of the first context and the second context.

1. A media gateway which
 (a) generates a plurality of contexts independently from each other based on respective control messages transmitted from respective media gateway controllers corresponding to a first network and a second network, and 
 (b) performs media conversion for bearer transfers using the plurality of contexts between the first network and the second network, comprising:
 a memory unit which stores setting information, function information and performance information for resources associated with each of the plurality of contexts, wherein the function information indicates a function of the resources and an available function, and the performance information includes information on processing power of a device; 
 a context determination unit which determines whether or not an internal connection which connects a plurality of contexts for a same stream within the media gateway exists between the contexts corresponding to each of the first network and the second network based on the setting information stored in the memory unit; 
 an optimization judgment unit which judges whether a new context, generated by combining the contexts originally corresponding to each of the first network and the second network and omitting functionally redundant resources, may maintain communication including media conversion between the first network and the second network, based on the function information or the performance information stored in the memory unit, when the context determination unit determines that the internal connection exists; 
 an optimization processing unit which generates the new context when the optimization judgment unit judges that the new context can be generated, and associates the setting information of the new context with each of the setting information on the contexts originally corresponding to each of the first network and the second network; and 
 a context control unit which controls the bearer transfer between the first network and the second network by using the new context, and transmits a response message including information that the context is set up to each of the media gateway controllers by using the setting information on the contexts originally corresponding to each of the first network and the second network, respectively. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The media gateway according to  claim 1 , wherein the optimization judgment unit judges whether the new context may cause resource to become a bottleneck in performance based on the function information or the performance information on resources stored in the memory unit. 
     
     
       3. The media gateway according to  claim 1 , wherein the optimization judgment unit judges to generate the new context, when a total number of the resources associated to the new context is smaller than a total number of the resources associated to the contexts originally corresponding to each of the first network and the second network. 
     
     
       4. The media gateway according to  claim 1 , wherein the optimization judgment unit judges to generate the new context, when quality of communication is improved by combining the contexts originally corresponding to each of the first network and the second network even if the number of resources is not reduced. 
     
     
       5. A method for controlling a media gateway which generates a plurality of contexts independently from each other based on respective control messages transmitted from respective media gateway controllers corresponding to a first network and a second network and performs media conversion for bearer transfers using the plurality of contexts between the first network and the second network, comprising:
 storing setting information, function information and performance information for resources associated to each of the plurality of contexts in a memory unit, wherein the function information indicates a function of the resources and an available functions, and the performance information includes information on processing power of a device; 
 determining whether or not there exists an internal connection which connects a plurality of contexts for the same stream within the media gateway between the contexts corresponding to each of the first network and the second network based on the setting information stored in the memory unit 
 judging whether generating a new context by combining the contexts originally corresponding to each of the first network and the second network and omitting functionally redundant resources is possible in a point of view of maintaining communication including media conversion between the first network and the second network based on the function information or the performance information stored in the memory unit, when existence of the internal connection is determined; 
 generating the new context when it is judged that the new context can be generated, and associating the setting information of the new context with each of the setting information on the contexts originally corresponding to each of the first network and the second network; and 
 controlling the bearer transfer between the first network and the second network by using the new context, and transmits a response message including information that the context is set up to each of the media gateway controller by using the setting information on the contexts originally corresponding to each of the first network and the second network respectively. 
 
     
     
       6. The control method according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 judging whether generating the new context is possible in a point of view of existence of a bottlenecked-resource in performance based on the function information or the performance information on resources stored in the memory unit. 
 
     
     
       7. The control method according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 judging to generate the new context when a total number of the resources associated to the new context is smaller than a total number of the resources associated to the contexts originally corresponding to each of the first network and the second network. 
 
     
     
       8. The control method according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 judging to generate the new context, when quality of communication is improved by combining the contexts originally corresponding to each of the first network and the second network even if the number of resources is not reduced.